@AP Amazon rainforest/deforestation reporter | Previously Reuters in Brazil | N. Ireland is home | 📧: [email protected] 🏳️🌈
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
Joined November 2012
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Here is my story on pink river dolphins, which provide a worrying indicator of mercury levels from illegal gold mining along the Amazon River.
Satellite internet, drones and online platforms are helping criminal groups carry out illegal mining and other environmental crimes across Latin America, prompting calls for stronger oversight.
apnews.com/article/technolog…
233 arrests. 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest identified. More than 1,000 live animals recovered.
My latest for @AP on an Interpol crackdown targeting illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking across Latin America and the Caribbean:
apnews.com/article/interpol-…
A landmark case over the rights of Indigenous peoples living in isolation in Peru’s Amazon has reached the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The ruling could set an important precedent over their ancestral lands.
My latest for @AP:
apnews.com/article/indigenou…
At least 124 land and environmental defenders were killed worldwide in 2025 — 105 of them in Latin America.
Colombia remained the deadliest country, while killings in Brazil more than doubled.
My latest for @AP:
apnews.com/article/environme…
Nearly three years after Indigenous leader Quinto Inuma was killed in the Peruvian Amazon, four men were convicted of murder-for-hire.
“This sets a precedent for Indigenous peoples, a precedent for environmental defenders,” his son told me.
apnews.com/article/peru-sent…
I traveled to Peru’s Madre de Dios region to report on the fight against illegal gold mining, embedding with the military as troops carried out operations to destroy mining machinery and infrastructure in the Amazon.
Peruvian authorities have intensified efforts against illegal gold mining in the Amazon's Madre de Dios region. Military patrols were deployed by helicopter to target mining sites along the Malinowski River. The raids aim to dismantle mining infrastructure, focusing on destroying valuable motors that power the operations.
Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella used his inaugural speech to formally lay out an energy agenda that marks a sharp shift from his predecessor, backing oil, gas and fracking while pledging to continue the energy transition.
apnews.com/article/colombia-…
Police from five Amazon countries arrested hundreds of people and seized illegally harvested timber, minerals and trafficked wildlife during one of the region's biggest coordinated crackdowns on environmental crime.
apnews.com/article/amazon-en…
Colombia reported a 5% rise in deforestation in 2025, while forest loss in the Amazon remained largely unchanged. The figures cap President Gustavo Petro's final year in office. apnews.com/article/amazon-de…
Weeks after Venezuela’s earthquakes, attention has turned to the environmental & public health risks left behind. Safely managing millions of tons of rubble will be critical to limiting hazardous dust, contaminated debris and disease risks during recovery. apnews.com/article/venezuela…
A landmark case before the Andean Court of Justice could set a precedent for tackling illegal gold mining across the Amazon.
AP: apnews.com/article/peru-ille…
Govs across Latam have ramped up preparations as El Niño strengthens. Brazil's deployed more than 4,600 wildfire personnel. Colombia is monitoring water basins, promoting rainwater use & preparing for increased fire risk. Experts warn preparedness is key.
apnews.com/article/el-nino-p…
Steven Grattan retweeted
Colombia's outgoing minister of environment, @IreneVelezT, warns climate and environmental gains could be at risk under new de la Espriella government. Story by @sjgrattan.
apnews.com/article/colombia-…
Political shifts in Colombia, Peru and potentially Brazil are raising questions about the future of the Amazon, Indigenous rights and environmental protections across the region.
apnews.com/article/amazon-po…
Steven Grattan retweeted
.@sjgrattan is @AP's Amazon rainforest and deforestation reporter, covering climate and energy across Latin America—from fossil fuels to Indigenous rights. An Irish native, he co-founded @BogotaPost and has reported across the region since 2013.
Ahead of Colombia’s presidential runoff, I look at what the two candidates could mean for the Amazon, fossil fuels and Indigenous rights.
apnews.com/article/amazon-co…
Conference on moving away from fossil fuels wraps in Santa Marta 🇨🇴
56 countries, no binding deals — but a clear shift: from debating if to phase out fossil fuels → to how to do it
Finance, debt & transition plans now front and center.
My AP takeaways:
apnews.com/article/climate-c…
I’m in Santa Marta covering the international conference on moving away from fossil fuels, where the high-level segment has now begun.
apnews.com/article/colombia-…
In Santa Marta, Colombia, covering a global conference on moving away from fossil fuels. Big question: who pays? Developing countries push for more support as gaps persist. High-level talks start tomorrow.
apnews.com/article/climate-f…
I’ll be in Santa Marta covering this conference on moving away from fossil fuels — reach out if you’re around.
Planned before the war in Iran, but the timing now highlights how vulnerable economies remain to fossil fuel shocks.
apnews.com/article/conferenc…
